Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte inspected the site on Aug. 23, hailing it as a game-changing infrastructure investment for local agriculture.
Why it matters
The project, spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture (DA), aims to help farmers preserve produce longer, diversify markets, and improve profitability. It also serves President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision of turning farmers into “agri-preneurs” who can drive economic growth.
“This is a great step forward in empowering our farmers,” Tiu Laurel said. “It will allow them to preserve their harvest longer, reduce spoilage, and access new markets.”
Details of the project
The complex will have six refrigerated warehouses with a total storage capacity of more than 1,300 tons of vegetables, meat, chicken, and fish.
It will feature a solar power system to cut energy costs, a blast freezer, and a processing and packing area for value-added services.
The facility is designed not only for Camarines Sur but also for the Bicol region, Visayas, and Mindanao, whose products often pass through the province en route to Metro Manila.
The vision
Villafuerte praised the initiative, saying it would diversify farmers’ income streams:
“This will help our farmers add more value to their produce and ultimately earn more. It’s an investment in our farmers—the lifeblood of our country—whose calloused hands bring food to our tables.”
What’s next
The CamSur cold storage hub is part of a nationwide DA rollout of mega and modular facilities.
Sites in Taguig City, Cabanatuan City, Occidental Mindoro, and Isabela will follow starting next year, alongside more than 100 modular units to be distributed to farming communities nationwide.
“This is how we build a food-secure and farmer-empowered Philippines,” Tiu Laurel said. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
